At their March 1999 meeting, the Access Board unanimously voted to approve a rule to revise and update the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG).
These revisions will impact the way buildings will be deisgned in the future. The timeframe for these new requirements is early to mid 2000, but these proposed revisions should be studied now to ensure ADA compliance when the new ADA takes effect.
Much of the current ADA Law will remain as it is now, but some important changes that will effect how buildings are deisgned are listed below. These items were taken from the publication ADAAG Review Federal Advisory Committee's Final Report Recommendation for a New ADAAG.
Section 207.3
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At exit stairways and elevators serving a required accessible space, but not serving as an accessible means of egress, directional signs indicating the location of accessible means of egress shall be provided.
Section 208.3
- Accessible parking spaces shall be identified by signs.
EXCEPTION: Where a total of five or less parking spaces are provided.
Section 216.4
- Exit doors shall be identified by tactile signs.
Section 703.2.6
- Mounting height for tactile signs: Characters shall be located 48 inches min. to 60 inches max. above the floor measured to the baseline of the characters.
Section 703.2.7
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Where a sign containing tactile characters is provided at a door, the sign shall be located alongside the door at the latch side. Where a tactile sign is provided at double doors, the sign shall be located to the right of the right hand door. Where no wall space is available at the latch side of a single door, or to the right side of double doors, the sign shall be located on the nearest adjacent wall.
Tactile signs shall be located so a clear floor space of 18 inches by 18 inches minimum centered on the sign is provided beyond the arc of any door swing between the closed position and the 45 degree open position.
EXCEPTION: Signs shall be permitted on the push side of doors with closers and without hold open devices.
- Example: An 8 inch wide sign will require a minimum of 13 inches of wall space
and 18 inches x 18 inches of clear floor space.
